Mechanical stirrer or poker for gas-producers.



Patented Apr. I, |902. `J. W. DUGHERTY.

MECHANICAL STIRRER 0RV POKER FOR CASV PRODUCERS.

(Application led Dec. 1, 1900.)

4Sheets-Sheet I.

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2. o m r. p A d e t n e t a DI Vb. T Dn E H. nu U 0 D W lu. 0.. ,2 4, 6 9 6 nm N MECHANICAL'STIRRER 0R POKER FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

(Appliaeion med Dec. 1, 1900.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Model.)

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Patented Apr. l, i902.. J. W. DUUGHERTY. MECHANICAL STIRRER A0R PUKEB FDR GAS PRUDUGERS.

(Application med Dec. 1`, woo.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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MECHANICAL STIRREB CR POKER FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

(Application Bled Dec. 1, 1900.)

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MECHANICAL STIRRER OR POKER FOR GASnPRODUCERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,420, dated April 1, 1902.

Application led December 1, 1900. Serial No. 38,346. (No model.)

To @ZZ w'wnt t ntctg/ concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN WEBSTER DoUGH- ERTY, of Steelton, in the county of Dauphin, and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Stirrers or Pokers for Gas-Producers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, in which- Figure l is a horizontal sectional view of a gas-producer embodying my invention, two different forms of operating means for the stirrer-shafts being shown. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View taken on the line x x of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a like view on the line y y of Fig. l. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of another mechanism for oscillating the stirrer-shaft, 'and Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of my invention, showing' the stirrer-shaft situated above the fuel.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the gures. l

The object of my invention has been to provide a stirrer or poker for gas-producers which shall have the advantages, among others, of being capable of effectively reaching all parts of the interior of 'the producer in the plane of the stirrer, and especially of a rectangular producer, of leaving the top and other portions of the producer above the level of the stirrer entirely unobstructed Vby the stirrer, and of being easily removed, repaired, and replaced while the producer is in operation; and to such ends my invention consists in the mechanical stirrer or poker for gas-producers hereinafter specified.

In the operation of a gas-producer air is forced upward through a body of highlyheated carbon. In the lower layers of the carbon the air combines therewith, forming carbonio-acid gas, (002,) and as it passes through the upper incandescent layers the carbonio-acid gas gives up one of its atoms of oxygen to another atom of carbon, thus forming two molecules of carbonio oXid, (CO.) As the fuel is consumed holes will be formed in the mass thereof unless some means are provided for stirring it. The formation of such holes must be prevented, as they materially reduce the purity of the gas formed and the amount of carbonio oxid, owing to the fact that the carbonio-acid gas which passes up through such holes 'fails to come into contact with sufficient incandescent carbon to be wholly transformed into carbonio oxid. The carbon in the carbonic-acid gas in the final product is wholly wasted, as such gas is not combustible, and it also dilutes the carbonicl oxid, thus reducing the efficiency of the final product. The object of my stirrer is to prevent the formation in the fuel of the holes before mentioned.

It is desirable to build gas-producers rectangular in horizontal cross-section, for the reason that a series of such gas-producers can be built in a row, so that the side wall shall be protected by the combustion-chambers on both sides thereof from loss of heat by radiation, which is a matter of great economy in the running of producers, and for the reason that less material is required to thus build a plant of a given capacity than where the combustion-chambers are circular in horizontal cross-section; but so far as I am aware no effective mechanical stirrer or poker has heretofore been invented which would reach all parts in its plane of action of a rectangular combustion-chamber, particularly in the corners thereof. My stirrer or poker, however, can be effectively used either in gas-producers that are circular or those that are rectangular in horizontal cross-section.

In carrying my invention into practice I provide the usual vertical walls A and A, which, with the arched top B, inclose the producerchamber0- Thestructureis,asusual, braced by angle-irons D and D, which are connected by bolts. In the lower part of the combustionchamber is an arched grate E. The top of the producer is preferably in the saine plane as a iioor F, on which the fuel is brought to the producer. A hopper or hoppers G, having a bell g for closing the same, afford means for introducing fuel into the combustion-chamber. A hole or holes g' are provided in the top of the producer, so that it can be stirred or poked by hand in case it is necessary to repair the mechanical stirrer or poker. The gas formed is carried off by means of a flue H, opening out of the top or sideof the producer. So much of the construction illustrated is common in the art and can be varied as desired.

In the front and rear walls of the producer I set opposite pairs of bearing-boxes or housings I and I, which are preferably hollow for the circulation of water to keep them from being overheated. In order to furnish steam for breaking up clinkers or for cooling the combustion-chamber if it should become too hot, I prefer to allow the bearing-box housings I and I to become hot enough to generate steam. The water enters each housing I through a pipe z', and the steam escapes through pipe t" into the air-duct and thence into the combustion-chamber. By thus generating the desired steam I utilize heat that would otherwise be lost, and the cost of production is thus reduced.

At the center of each box I an opening t2 is formed, and such opening is preferably elongated horizontally. Through the open ings t2 and f2 of each pair of boxes I and I a substantially horizontal stirrer-shaft K is extended-and such shaft has bearing in a stuifing-box is in each opening t2. The portions of the openings t2 and t2 are filled with briclc or other refractory material, and the stuffingboxes i2 and t2 are fastened to a plate or casting i4, which is in turn fastened, as by bolts, to the bearing-box or housing, so that the stuffing-boxes and the refractory material can be removed to permit the withdrawal of the shaft K, thus affording access thereto for repairing without being compelled to cool or draw much, if any, of the fire of the producer. Each of the shafts K and K is provided with lateral stirring-arms L and L, and the latter are preferably provided with vertical fingers Z and Z. The shafts, arms, and fingers are hollow, so that they can be cooled by water. The openings i2 and 'i2 in the boxes I andI are sufficiently elongated horizontally to permit the passage of the arms L and L. The arms L and L, of which there are preferably several on each shaft, are preferably located toward the central portion of the shaft, so that the shaft can be reciprocated longitudinally, carrying the arms back and forth through the fuel. The shafts K and K can, as desired, be given a horizontal reciprocation or rotary motion, or an oscillatory motion, or a combination of such motions.

4 If desired, the shafts can be given a purely rotary motion, while one of the stirring-arms removes clinkers from the wall of the chamber. I have illustrated in Fig. 2 means for giving them a combined reciprocatory and rotary motion.

Referring to the operating means illustrated in the upper portion of Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2, the shaft K is provided with circular gearteeth 7c and 7c, runningaround its circumference, and such teeth are engaged by a pinion IVI, which is fast on a shaft N. Within the hollow end of the shaft K a short shaft O is splined, so that the latter can turn the former while permitting its longitudinal reciprocation. wheel P, fixed thereon and engaged by a worm Q on a shaft q.

The operative meansillustrated in the lower portion of Fig. l and in Fig. 3 consists of a hydraulic cylinder R in line with the stirrershaft and in which a piston on said shaft K is received, such cylinder causing the longitudinal reciprocation of the shaft and of a cylinder S, located transversely of the stirrershaft and having a piston which is connected by a pitman to a crank s on the stirrer-shaft. The latter cylinder and its pitman cause an oscillatory motion of the stirrer-shaft. The admission and release of water to and from the cylinders R and S may be effected in any known manner. Instead of using a separate cylinder to oscillate the shaft such motion can, as shown in Fig. 4, be obtained by an armT, attached to such shaft and having its outer endif in engagement with a path-cam U, having a switch u at each end, each switch being held against a wall of the cam by a spring u'. As the shaft K travels back and forth under the action of the piston in the cylinder R, the arm T travels along one path of the cam Uand passes under a switch u as it nears the end of its forward or backward travel. As the shaft K travels in the opposite direction the end t of the arm Tis directed by the switch tothe opposite path of the cam, so that an oscillation of the shaft K is produced.

As a means for causing a circulation of water in'the stirrer-shafts, arms, and fingers I have shown a hose W, leading to a small pipe w in the rear end of the stirrer-shaft, and such pipe extends nearly to the front end of the shaft and has branches w and 'w' extending to the extremities of the arms and fingers. A second hose X is connected to a short pipe Qc, that communicates directly with the interior of the stirrer-shaft at its rear end. The water thus fiows forward through the pipe w and its branches to the extremities of the shaft, arms, and fingers and then flows back along the inner surfaces of such parts and finds exit through the hose U. If desired, the shafts and stirring-arms can be provid ed with several Water-passages for carrying the latter in a single direction.

In the operation of my stirrer the shafts pass slowly back and forth, carrying the arms and fingers through the mass of fuel,-and effectively prevent the formation of holes therein. All openings in the top of the producer can be closed, so as to prevent the escape of gas, and there is no part of my stirrer which in any Way obstructs the bringing of fuel to the hopper, nor its entrance into the combustion-chamber.

It is obvious that my stirrer will as effectively operate in a circular or oval producer as in a rectangular one.

Changes can be made which are within the scope of my invention. Forinstance, instead The shaft O is revolved, as byawork- IOO IIO

of having a single shaft extending entirely across the combustion-chamber tivo shafts in alinement with each other and extending into the chamber from opposite sides can be used.

If desired, as shown in Fig. 6thestirring shaft or shafts can be situated above the fuel, and the latter can be stirred and its holes closed up by long substantially vertical fingers depending from transverse arms on the shafts. Such shafts can be given a mere longitudinal reciprocation, an oscillation, a rotary motion, or a combination of any of such motions `by any desired mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In a gas-producer, the combination of a square chamber, a stirrer shaft or shafts extending parallel to Walls of said chamber, stirrer-arms on said shaft or shafts, which arms extend substantially to said Walls and stir substantially the Whole of the horizontal cross-section of said chamber, and means for revolving said shaft or shafts, substantially as described.

2. In a gas-producer, the combination of a chamber having opposite straight Walls, a stirrer shaft or shafts extending perpendicular to said Walls, stirrer-arms on said shaft or shafts, which arms reach and stir substantially the Whole of the horizontal cross-section of said chamber, and means for revolving said shaft or shafts, substantially as described.

3. In a gas-producer, the combination with a horizontal stirrer-shaft having arms thereon, of means for longitudinally reciprocating such shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a gas-producer, the combination with a horizontal stirrer-shaft, of arms on such shaft, means for longitudinally reciprocating said shaft, and means forgiving such arms motion about the axis of said shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a gas-producer, the combination with a horizontal stirrer-shaft, of arms on such shaft, means for longitudinally reciprocating said shaft, and means for oscillatingv such shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a gas-producer, the combination With a stirrer-shaft, of arms thereon, a frame secured in and projecting through a Wall of the producer, and a bearing-box for said shaft removably secured in said frame, whereby said box can be removed to permit the Withdrawal of the shaft from the producer, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a gas-producer, the combination With a horizontal stirrer-shaft, of a longitudinal series of teeth on such shaft, and a pinion for engaging said teeth to reciprocate the shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

S. In a gasproducer, the combination With a horizontal stirrer-shaft, of a longitudinal series of circular teeth extending around such shaft, a pinion engaging said teethjto reciprocate the shaft, and means for rotating such shaft, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a gas-producer, the combination with a horizontal stirrer-shaft, ofa longitudinal series of circular teeth extending around such shaft, a pinion engaging said teeth to reciprocate the shaft, ashaft splined to the stil-rershaft, a Worm on such second shaft, and a Worm-Wheel engaging said Worm, substantially as and for the purpose described.

l0. In a gas-producer, the combination of a stirrer-shaft having stirrer-arms thereon, a bearing for said shaft, a box mounted in a wall of the producer, said bearing being removably attached to said box, said box having an opening in line with said bearing,Which opening is large enough to permit the passage of said stirrer-arms, and a removable filling in said opening on the fire side of said bearing, substantially as described.

l1. In a gas-producer, the combinationofa stirrer-shaft.having stirrer-arms thereon, a

bearing for said shaft, a box mounted in a WallV of the producer, said bearing being removably attached to said box, said box having an opening in line with said bearing,whicl1 opening is large enough to permit the passage of said stirrer-arms, a removable fillingin said opening on the lire side of said bearing, said box having a Water-chamber therein, means for conducting water to said chamber, and means for conducting steam therefrom to said producer, substantiallyas described.

l2. The combination `of a gas-producermith one or more pokers, and a rock-shaft carrying the same and mounted on the producer so as to be capable of both a rocking and a laterallyreciprocating movement thereon, substantially` as specified. i

13. The combination of a gas-producei',\vith one or more hollow pokers, a holloW rockshaft carrying the same and mounted on the producer so as to be capable of both rocking and laterally-reciprocating movement thereon, and means carried by said shaft fnrsupplying Water to and discharging it from said poker or pokers, substantially as specified.

lll. The combination of a gas-producer,with

a rock-shaft extending across the upper part l of the same, and mounted in bearingsthereon, so as to rock, and a series of pokers projecting downwardly from said rock-shaft, substantially as specified.

In testimonythat I claim the foregoingl have hereunto set my hand this 22d day of October, 1900. i

JOHN WEBSTER DOUGHERTY.

Witnesses:

A. R. CALDER, GEO. P. VANIER.

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